Boxer&#39;s helmet



A. J. TURNER BOXERS HELMET Dec. 5, 1944.

Filed 001:. a,- 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 5, 1944. A.'J. TURNER BOXERYS HELMET Fild Oct. 8, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 5, 1944 BOXERS, HELMET Archibald J. Turner, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Wilson Athletic Goods Mfg. Co., Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application October 8, 1943, Serial No. 505,426

15 Claims. (01. 2-9) This invention relates to a boxers helmet and has for its principal object the provision of an improved helmet for the protection of a boxers head and face, and particularly his nose and mouth when indulging in the sport 'of boxing.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a helmet of this type in which the wearers nose and mouth are effectively protected by rigid members, arranged totransmit impacts to the wearers head through padded and flexible elements.

A'further object of the invention is to provide a helmet of this type which is adapted to fit heads of various sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a helmet of this type in which an ear opening is provided, arranged to prevent injury to the wearers ear drum by a blow of a boxing glove on said opening.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved helmet of this type which combines ficient width to provide the wearer with full vision.

The body l9 may suitably be of padded construction, the padding being enclosed by leather or other durable sheet material.

The body portion ll] is provided with two Vertically extending opening !2 arranged to register with the wearers ears to permit him full hearing ability. Ear openings in a thick flexible body are dangerous because a direct blow on the opening is apt to close the opening and compress the air therein with enough force to rupture the wearers ear drum. To prevent such accidents, I locate across the opening a strap l3, suitably of leather. I find that a dangerous ear blow tends to spread or make larger the ear opening in the helmet. This tendency is resisted by the strap [3 which is firmly stitched to the body portion It] on each side of the ear opening [2. This tensioning of the strap l3 causes it to serve as a tensioned bridge which prevents excessive rigidand padded flexible guard elements combined together to give adequate protection to a boxers head and face and arranged whereby heavy impacts on the rigid elements are prevented from being excessively communicated to the wearers head.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a helmet em bodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front perspective View of the rigid elements thereof, separated from the helmet;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the relation of the mouth guard to the helmet;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the mouth guard;

Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view of the helmet;

Figs. 6 and '7 are sectional detail views taken on the lines 6-6 of Fig. 5 showing the ear hole construction; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1 showing the chin guard construction.

Referring tothe drawings, the reference numeral l0 designates the main flexible body portion which is arranged to be located around the wearers head. The body portion In is provided with a front or face opening II which extends from a position below a normal wearers mouth to a position above his eyebrows and is of sufentry of the glove into the ear opening. As a further constructional feature serving to prevent injury to the wearers ear drum, I provide a channel l4 in the body [0 extending upwardly from the upper end of the ear opening l2. This channel may suitably be formed by omitting padding above the ear openings and stitching the ding 22 inner and outer leather coverings together as shown at I5. It may readily be understood that any air which may be enclosed by a blow of a glove on an ear opening [2 is free to escape upwardly through the channel i l.

The ends of the body portion iii are arranged to be located at the back of the wearers head. These ends are in the form of tabs It provided with eyelets whereby the body portion l6 may be secured on the wearers head with the aid of a lace l8.

The lower edge of the helmet extends upwardly from the chin towards the rear tab H3 on a line generally corresponding to the lower edge of a normal wearers jaw-bone, the rear side of the helmet being arranged to provide full freedom for the wearers neck.

The face opening ll provides the body portion ID with a horizontal padded portion VI 9 which lies on the wearers brow and a horizontal padded portion 20 which lies over the front of the Wearers chin.

Below the wearers chin is provided a flexible bridge piece 2! which may be constituted by two layers of leather. The rear portions of the two layers of leather may include between them padas shown in Fig. 8. The bridge piece 2! and the portion 20 define a chin pocket which serves to prevent upward displacement of the helmet during use.

The rigid elements of the helmet are shown in Fig. 2. They comprise a nose guard 23 which may be a stout rod or tube, a mouth guard 24, and a brow plate 25. The brow plate 25 may be suitably formed of stout fiber, formed to conform generally to the shape of a normal brow. The upper end of the nose guard 23 is riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the brow plate. The brow plate 25 is secured to the padded portion IQ of the body in by means of an overlying strip of leather 26 which is sewn to the portion l9 around the periphery of the plate 25.

The lower end of the nose guard 23 is riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the mouth guard 24. This mouth guard is of general kidney form as viewed from the front, its extremities bending downwardly as shown in Fig. 4. As viewed from above, as in Fig. 3, the mouth guard 24 is substantially semicircular in shape. ,Its ends extend beyond the face opening H and are anchored to the body In at positions low on the wearers cheeks. The mouth guard 24 is preferably enclosed in a leather case or jacket 21 and it may be suitably anchored to the body In by stitching 28 which extends through the jacket 21 and the body 10. The mouth guard 24 may also be of rigid fiber material and it may be reenforced by a metal strip 29 through which extend the rivets or other fastenings which secure it to the nose guard.

As is shown in the drawings, the nose guard 23 extends obliquely outwardly from its upper end to clear the wearers nose. The center of the mouth guard 24 is located well in advance of the wearers mouth, as will be understood from Fig. 3. Consequently, the wearer may breathe through his mouth without interference from the mouth guard or other part of the helmet.

Around the upper end of the body It I secure a plurality of straps 30 arranged to converge toward the crown of wearers head. The straps terminate in loops 3| through which pass a cord or lace 32.

It will readily be understood that the helmet is arranged to fit heads of varying sizes. The whole body ii! is fiexible so that it can conform to any head. The tabs llipconnected as they are by a lace l8, enable the body portion to fit heads of different circumferences. The effective height of the mask is controlled by the cord or lace'3l so that the helmet may readily be adapted for heads of different heights. In practice the lace 3] is tightened sufficiently to seat the wearers chin comfortably but firmly Within and the chin pocket constituted by members 20 and 2|.

The body portion being of thick padded structure serves to protect the wearers head from excessive blows. The wearers nose is effectively protected by the nose and mouth guards. Heavy impacts directed on the rigid nose and mouth guards is applied to the wearers head through the padding of the body portion [0 and thereby violence is distributed and attenuated.

The wearers chin being firmly nested within the chin pocket constituted by the members and 2| serves to prevent upward displacement of the helmet under the influence of an upper out which strikes the mouth guard.

The nose guard extends outwardly and downwardly and the mouth guard is located well in advance of the wearers mouth, The nose guard sport is encouraged and 23, either half of the mouth guard 24 and the portion of the main body H) which extends between the ends define a vision opening which provides full vision for the wearers eye. Since the main body is in the form of a thick padded structure adjacent the eye opening, the eye opening is defined by elements which extend substantially from the wearers head. Consequently, the wearers eyes are protected from contact by his opponents glove, the eye opening thus defined being of such size that an opponents glove cannot project sufficiently into the opening to strike the wearers eye.

This feature of my helmet is particularly important in the armed forces where the manly where it is of great importance that eye injuries be avoided. This feature is, however, important in all cases where boxing is indulged in as an athletic sport.

Although the invention has been described in connection with the specific details of preferred embodiment thereof, it must be understood that such details are not intended to be limitative of the invention except insofar as set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A boxers helmet comprising a padded resilient body portion arranged to surround a wearers head, resilient means cooperating with said body portion to form a chin pocket, said body portion being provided with a face opening,- and a combined nose and mouth guard in the form of a rigid structure mounted on said body portion.

2. A boxers helmet comprising a padded resilient body portion arranged to surround a wearers head, said body portion being provided with tabs at its rear arranged to be secured by a lace, resilient means cooperating with said body portion to form a chin pocket, said body portion being provided with a face opening, and a combined nose and mouth guard in the form of a rigid structure mounted on said body portion.

3. A boxers helmet comprising a padded resilient body portion arranged to surround a wearers head, resilient means cooperating with said body portion to form a chin pocket, flexible means extending from the upper end of the mask provided with terminal loops and a flexible member extending through said loops whereby the helmet may be adjusted to fit heads of various sizes so as to locate the wearers chin in proper seating relation within the chin pocket, said body portion being provided with a face opening, and a combined nose and mouth guard in the form of a rigid structure mounted on said body portion. I

4. A boxers helmet comprising a padded resilient body \portion arranged to surround a wearers head, said padded body being provided with an ear opening, a resilient bridge member mounted on said body portion across said opening whereby impact of a glove tending to separate the side of .said opening effects tensioning of said bridge member to oppose entry of the glove excessively into said opening, resilient means cooperating with said body portion to form a chin, pocket, said body portion being provided with a face opening, and a combined nose and mouth guard in the form of a rigid structure mounted on said body portion. v

5. A boxers helmet comprising a padded resilient body portion arranged to surround a wearers head, said padded body being provided with an ear opening, a resilient bridge member mounted on said body :Dortion across said opening whereby impact of a glove tending to separate the sides, of said opening effects tensioning of said bridge member to oppose entry of the glove excessively into said opening, said ear opening being connected to an edge of the body portion by means. of an air escape channel provided by omission of padding, resilient means cooperating with said body portion to form a chin pocket, said body portion being provided with a face opening, and a combined nose and mouth guard in the form of a rigid structure mounted on said body portion.

6. A boxers helmet comprising a head embracing !padded structure having a face opening and a chin pocket, and a rigid structure comprising a nose guard and a mouth guard arranged in front ,of said opening and mounted on padded portions of said body whereby impacts on said rigid structure are communicated in attenuated form through the padded structure to the wearers head.

'7. A boxers helmet comprising a padded structure adapted to be arranged around a wearers head, tabs at the ends of said structure, adjustable means for securing said tabs together whereby the helmet may be applied to heads of different circumferences, means at the lower end of said body constituting a chin pocket, and means for adjusting the effectiv height of said helmet whereby the same may be applied to heads of various heights so as to locate the wearers chin in proper relation within said chin pocket.

8. A boxers helmet comp-rising a padded struc--v ture adapted to be arranged around a wearers head, tabs at the ends of said structure, adjustable means for securing said tabs together whereby the helmet may be applied to heads of diiferent circumferences, means at the lower end of said body constituting a chin pocket, means for adjusting the effective height of said helmet whereby the same may be applied to heads of various heights so as to locate the wearers chin in proper relation Within said chin pocket, and said body portion being provided with a face opening and a rigid structure mounted in bridging relation across said opening and upon the padded body portion, said rigid structure being arranged effectively to protect the wearers nose and mouth from having impacts.

9. A boxers helmet comprising a padded structure adapted to be worn on the wearers head, said padded structure having a face opening, a rigid mouth guard extending across said opening, a rigid nose guard extending from the upper end of the face opening and connected at its lower end to the mouth guard, each half of the mouth guard, the nose guard and the part of the padded structure between the end of the mouth guard and the upper end of the nose guard defining a vision opening located substantially away from the wearers eye and of such size that a boxing glove cannot project thereinto sufficiently to injure the wearers eye.

10. A boxers helmet comprising a structure adapted to be worn on the wearers head, said structure having a face opening, said structure being heavily padded around the face opening, a rigid mouth guard extending across said opening and secured to the outer side of the padded structure at the edges of said face opening, said mouth guard being curved outwardly well ahead of the wearers mouth, a rigid nose guard secured to the mouth guard and secured to the outer side of the padded structure in the region of wearers brow, each half of the mouth guard, the nose guard and the portion of the padded structure between their ends defining a vision opening for the wearer, said elements defining said opening extending outwardly substantially away from the wearers eye and defining the vision opening of such size that a boxing glove cannot extend thereinto sufiiciently to injure. the eye of the wearer.

11. In a boxers helmet, a padded side wall structure adapted-to embrace the head of the wearer and to cover the sides and front except at vertically elongated ear openings and a horizontally elongated face opening, an adjustable upper supporting structure for said side walls, comprising a plurality of radially extending flexible members having their ends adjustably joined by a sliding drawstring, and a guard structurefor the nose and front of the helmet, comprising a relatively stiff metallic bridge member extending upwardly and backwardly over the nose, said bridge member having at its upper end a relatively stiff curved member secured thereto and secured to the (padded structure at the forehead of the wearer, said bridge member having at its lower end a relatively long, curved, stiff, and flat member secured thereto and secured to the lower part of the padded structure and extending backwardly along the jaws of the wearer, said padded structure being provided at its rear with means for adjustably drawing it int fitting position on the head of the wearer.

12. In a boxers helmet, a padded side wall structure adapted to embrace the head of the wearer and to cover the sides and front except at vertically elongated ear openings and a, horizontally elongated face opening, an adjustable upper supporting structure for said side walls, comprising a plurality of radially extending flexible members having their ends adjustably joined by a sliding drawstring, and a guard structure for the nose and front of the helmet, comprising a relatively stiff metallic bridge member extending upwardly and backwardly over the nose, said bridge member having at its upper end a relatively stiff curved member secured thereto and secured to the padded structure at the forehead of the wearer, said bridge member having at its lower end a relatively long, curved, stilf, and fiat member secured thereto and secured to the lower part of the padded structure and extending backwardly along the jaws of the wearer, said padded structure being provided at its rear with means foradjustably drawing it into fitting position on the head of the wearer, said relatively long curved member being reinforced by a metal band also secured to the lower end of the bridge member.

13. In a boxers helmet, a padded side wall structure adapted to embrace the head of the wearer and to cover the sides and front except at vertically elongated earopemngs and a horizontally elongated face opening, an adjustable upper supporting structure for said side walls, comprising a plurality of radially extending flexible members having their ends adjustably joined by a sliding drawstring, and a guard structure for the nose and front of the helmet, comprising a relatively stiff metallic bridge member extending upwardly and backwardly over the nose, said bridge member having at its upper'end a relatively stiff curved member secured thereto and secured to,

the padded structure at the forehead of the wearer, said bridge member having at its lower end a relatively long, curved, still, and fiat member secured thereto and secured to the lower part of the padded structure and extending backwardly along the jaws of the wearer, said padded structure being provided at its rear with means for adjustably drawing it into fitting position on the head of the wearer, said relatively long curved member being reinforced by a metal band also secured to the lower end of the bridge member, and said padded structure also being provided at its forward lower end with a rearwardly extending padded portion forming a pocket for the chin.

14. In a boxers helmet, a padded side wall structure adapted to embrace the head of the wearer and to cover the sides and front except at vertically elongated ear openings and a horizontally elongated face opening, an adjustable upper supporting structure for said side walls, comprising a plurality of radially extending flexible members having their ends adjustably joined by a sliding drawstring, and a guard structure for the nose and front of the helmet, comprising a relatively stifi metallic bridge member extending upwardly and backwardly over the nose, said bridge member having at its upper end a relatively stiff curved member secured thereto and secured to the padded structure at the forehead of the wearer, said bridge member having at its lower end a relatively long, curved, stifi, and flat member secured thereto and secured to the lower part of the padded structure and extending backwardly along the jaws of the wearer, said padded structure being provided at its rear with means for adjustably drawing it into fitting position on the head of the wearer, said relatively long curved member being reinforced by a metal band also secured to the lower end of the bridge member,

and said padded structure also being provided at its forward lower end with a rearwardly extending padded portion forming a pocket for the chin,

said elongated ear openings being bridged by a relatively stiff strap of bendable material adapted to prevent impact between a glove and the ear of the wearer.

15. In a boxers helmet, a padded side wall structure adapted to embrace the head of the wearer and to cover the sidesand front except at vertically elongated ear openings and a horizontally elongated face opening, an adjustable upper supporting structure for said side walls, comprising a plurality of radially extending flexible members having their ends adjustably joined by a sliding drawstring, and a guard structure for the nose and front of the helmet, comprising a relatively stiff metallic bridge member extending upwardly and backwardly over the nose, said bridge member having at its upper end a relatively stiflf curved member secured thereto and secured to the padded structure at the forehead of the wearer, said bridge member having at its lower end a relatively long, curved, stiff, and fiat member secured thereto and secured to the lower part of the padded structure and extending backwardly along the jaws of the wearer, said padded structure being provided at its rear with means for adjustably drawing it into fitting position on the head of the wearer, said padded structure being provided at the upper end of said elongated ear apertures with an upwardly extending channel for escape of air from the recess formed by said apertures when impacted by a glove.

ARCHIBALD J. TURNER. 

